Commuting: The board game

physical materials || 2017 || collaboration

roles: co-writer | co-designer

Physical game themed around commuting, complete with resource management, random cards, and Londoner frustration.

PROJECT BRIEF & FEATURES

Create a single player physical game with meaningful choices, optimum solutions and random elements to create immersion.

• Managing resources: energy, money, and time

• Paying money each turn

• Following a board representing the commuting journey, and throw a die to move

• Choosing between several forms of transport, each with different cost but also different speeds (taxi is expensive but fast, bike is free but snow, tube is average)

• Picking cards that can be very good... or just plain bad, adding an element of unpredictability to the game.

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                    - - Click HERE to view the rules - -
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THE TEAM

 This game was a collaboration with Amalie Kaeseler. We shared the game design and writing duties (as well as graphic design).

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DESIGN CHALLENGES & DECISIONS

We decided to make a game themed around commuting in London, and all the hazards it entails. We decided to:

• Create more than one core mechanic: we designed several mechanics based on managing resources and using tube lines as player journeys.

• Use a humorous tone in line with the theme: we wrote cards using our Londoner experience, with some humour thrown in.

• Create a challenging but understandable game: after initial playtesting, we realised that the game was too complex for a a small, visually pared down board. To correct this we made a strongly directive board to tell the player exactly what to do at every stage of the way.